Earth-boring and pipe-laying apparatus



No. 607,999. Patented July 26, I898. a. T.ALATTA.

EARTH BORING AND PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 17, 1896.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet I.

aim

Witnesses. Inventor.

M Attbrney.

m: Nomus PETERS 00,. PHOTILLITNQ. WASHINGTON, n. 1:.

No. 907,999. Patented July 29, I998.

- 9. T. LATTA.

EARTH BORING AND PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

{Application filed Aug. 17, 1896.)

(N0 Modem 2 SheetsSh eefi 2,

l 1| y I A 1| ll '1'.

d W '/i/ y dam;

I Lnrokusr w: NORRIS PETERS 66 Pmxrouruq, WASHXNGTON, n, c,

iiurrn GRIFFIN T. LATTA, OF, LUDLOW, KENTUCKY.

EARTH-BORING AND PIPE-LAYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,999, dated July 26,1898.

Application filed August 1'7, 1896. Serial No. 603,064. (N0 m m T0 66whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GRIFFIN T. LATrA,,a citi-v zen of the UnitedStates,residing at Ludlow, in the county of Kenton and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEarth-Boring and Pipe-Laying Apparatus, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a highly-simplified and cheapened method oflaying underground pipes whether for elfecting a connection between ahouse and a street-main for Water, electricity, gas, or sewage or forlaying continuous lengths of pipes in streets, whereby the digging oftrenches for the conduit, which tends to destroy the symmetry of alawnor pavement and is both tedious and expensive, is entirely prevented.

It consists in the apparatus hereinafter more fully described wherebythe work is done cheaply, rapidly, and efiiciently.

The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter set forth, andspecificallypointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation showingthe application of my improved method in working from a cellar towardthe street-main. Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the method ofworking from the street-main toward the curb. Fig. 3 is an enlargedelevation, partly in section, of the working parts. Fig. A. is anenlarged sectional elevation of a' cutter-head. Fig. 5 is a sectionalelevation showing the application of my improved method in working froma cellar toward a sewer-pipe. Fig. 6 is a corresponding view showing themethod of working under broad paved streets. Figs. 7 and 8 are enlargedside elevations of so much of my apparatus as is necessary to clearlyillustrate the differential Windlass mechanism.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I will first describe my improved method.of introducing service -pipes between street-mains and houses. In theseviews A represents the cellar of a house; B, the sidewalk; C, the curb;D, the street, and E a water or other main in the street. The depth ofthe main in the street and to the rear of which is secured a nipple f toserve as a connection for a hose g, leada ing from a source ofwater-supply under pressure. This may be either an adjacent hydrant or aforce-pump fed from avessel containing water. The outer end of the pipeF is preferably provided with a cutting-head h,

whose outer edge is serrated, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The head isinserted through the opening a in the wall. A rope is connected from apulley attached to the bar 0 to the handle e by means of a spool t' uponthe handle, the rope (represented at j, Fig. 1) being fastened at bothends to opposite ends of the spool 2', so that as one end of the ropewinds up the other end unwinds and pays out, and half the length ofthe-spool '5 being smallerthan the other half the arrangementconstitutes a differential Windlass, and the operator, as soon as thepressure of water passes through the hose 9 and pipe f, oscillates thehandle 6 backward and forward, so as to oscillate the pipe, F on itsaxis, (the oscillating motion of the pipe F need only be great enough tobring each tooth of the serrated cutter to the position previouslyoccupied by the next adjacent tooth,) and forces the pipe F into theearth and toward the main E by revolving the spool 2', so as to pay outthe rope from the smaller diameter and wind it up on the largerdiameter. In all ordinary soils the pipe F will readily penetrate theearth, and

the water escaping from the end of the pipe will, with the displacedearth, be forced backward along the outer side of the pipe and will flowinto the pit b, from which it may be re moved either by baling or bypumping or by a water-jet siphon of ordinary construction. As soon asthe pipe F has penetrated the earth sufficiently to bring the handle 6close up to the wall the pipe F is uncoupled from the T d, and anothersection of pipe F is coupled to the first and the T and handle at itsrear end. Of course during the period of uncoupling and recoupling theparts just described the flow of water is cutoff from the hose g until,the parts having been recoupled, it is again turned on, and the secondsection of pipe is'propelled through the opening a into the earth, andthis operation is repeated until sufficient lengths of pipe F,determined by previous measurement, have been forced through the earthto bring the head it or the forward end of the first section of pipe Fin close proximity to the main E. A pit G, Fig. 1, is excavated directlyover and so as to expose the main, whereupon if the inserted sections ofpipe F are to constitute the service-pipe the main E is tapped, and theconnection between the end of the pipe F and the main is made in the pitG in the usual or any suitable manner. 7

In cases where the service-pipe is to be of lead and requires what isknown as a curbcock to be inserted in it for turning on and cutting offthe supply of Water to the house I dig a second pit H at the curb overthe pipe F and enlarge the hole from the pit II to the pit Grsufficiently to permit the coupling which is on the end of the lead pipeto be passed through the hole readily by means of an enlargedcutter-head h, Fig. 4, which is placed upon the advance end of the pipeF.

In cases whereit is desired to insert aservice-pipe from the main E tothe side of the walk B only I dig the two pits Gr and II, Fig. 2, tapthe main E in the usual manner, inserting a corporation-cock, couple thehose 9 at one end directly to the corporation-cock and at the other endto the T d, and with an enlarged cutter-head h I work from the pit G tothe pit II, making a hole large enough to permit the coupling which is011 the end of the lead pipe to be passed through the hole and then makethe couplings and proper connections in the pits G and II. In Fig. 5 thesame method of operation is shown in preparing an opening to receivesewer-pipes leading from the cellar to the sewer I. In these cases theopening is inclined down toward the sewer-pipe, as shown, and theopening is gradually enlarged by repeated operations and withincreasingly-enlarged cutterheads 77. upon the forward end of the pipe Fto make the opening large enough to receive the sections of sewer-pipe,which are then inserted with their ends previously coupled, and Ifinally make the connection at the sewer I by means of a T or elbow inthe usual or any suitable manner, a pit G having been previously dug toexpose the sewer I at the point of connection. By the same methodillustrated in Fig. 6, where it is desired to lay pipe under anexpensive pavement K of considerable length or extent, I dig a series ofpits J at proper working distances apart, and in these I work in themanner stated above from one to the other in effecting the bore for thepipe to be inserted, as will be readily understood.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim In earth-boring andpipe-laying apparatus, the combination of the pipe F, a differentialwindlasstherefor, an oscillating handle applied to the pipe, thecutting-head 7t, and hose connected to the rear end of the pipe, forforcing water therethrough, substantially as described.

GRIFFIN T. LATIA.

Witnesses:

J. THOMSON CRoss, BERNARD J. I-IANsFELD.

